


Seeking the Sun

by Soundone



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Angst, F/F, Fire Emblem: Three Houses Black Eagles Route Spoilers, Fluff, Friendship/Love, Hurt/Comfort, Romance, one lewd scene near the end
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-16
Updated: 2019-09-02
Packaged: 2020-09-01 18:47:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 19,111
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20262802
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Soundone/pseuds/Soundone
Summary: Twice she had loved, twice she had lost.Even after the war was long over and Fódlan and her people had since moved on to the future, Shamir Nevrand could not, stuck in a lonely, desolate garden of death and torment. Thus, when a new sun dawns before the withered rose, promising a love and light once so familiar, jaded petals struggle to unfurl, both for fear of being burnt again and for fear that this sun will fall from the sky like all the others when concealing leaves pull back to reveal the twisted thorns that fester underneath.And Shamir would rather die than see a sunset so red and violent again.





	1. Chapter 1

The full moon was vast and white that evening, shining proud in the middle of the sparkling canvas that was Fódlan’s night sky. Fragments of pure moonlight broke through the leafy canopy of the tree Shamir was perched high in as the lune judged her harshly with its glow, it the only thing aware of the sniper’s presence that night. She cast an indifferent, vacant glare right back at the offended titan. The arrow remained notched tightly against her bowstring and aim trained lethally upon the soon to be occupied forest path, even if her mind was leagues away.

How many bounties had she accepted in the past month? At least four contracts, four deaths, and another six after this one. Saints knew that she didn’t need the gold from the pay out. She still had the bounties from the last twenty or so contracts lying around unspent. 

‘Hell, I think I still have some of the gold Edelgard gave me at the end of the war two years back.’

But, despite her clear financial security, Shamir still accepted every contract she could get her hands on, wasted away days, weeks, months stalking her prey with a determination that teetered upon desperation. It helped her forget, if nothing else. The burning of her lungs distracted her from the burning of her heart. The glint of bloodied steel distracted her from the glimmer of the rising sun that she knew some would never see. The screams of her targets distracted her from-

_ A smooth and kind smile, always accompanied by the smell of a traditional Dagdan roast coffee that he could never start the day without. _

Her teeth grit audibly in pain, a potentially lethal mistake given her current situation. Past the fog of grief, Shamir quickly became aware of the distinct clammering of a convoy fast approaching. 

''Tch! Not now…'' 

Trying her best to silence the skeletons of her past, Shamir tightened the pull on her bowstring to dangerous levels as her target and his guards clumsily shuffled down the beaten path. The sniper sneered when another party quickly came into view from behind the convoy. Hired mercenaries no doubt, and Shamir could tell from their seasoned posture and hardened fatigues that they were a much larger threat than just the effective bandits in puffy clothes she had been expecting. Angered, mostly with herself for not preparing such an obvious possibility, she studied the group, ignorant or uncaring to the sudden and immense risk of death she took by still going along with her botched plan.

Three foot soldiers, potentially dangerous up close, but a non-issue at her range. 

One archer, seasoned based on his posture, should be taken out as soon as possible. 

One cavalier, likely the leader based on her armament and the way the other mercenaries flank around the rider. Dangerous if able to close distance upon their horse, should be taken out immediately after the archer. 

The two guards riding the horses pulling the carriage with the noble undoubtedly inside should be taken care of first, then the mercenaries can be dealt with. 

An empty smile flashed across the sniper’s face. This was why she took those pointless contracts. Planning an ambush, a kill, was such a numbing process. Only the distance between her targets and the weapon in her hand existed in those long dredges of time. No ghost from her past or emotion unchecked could reach her there. With the detached grin still on her lips, Shamir smoothly aimed her arrow at one of the guards and released.

One shot, right through the eye, no hesitation. The man never saw it coming as his lifeless body soon fell from his horse. 

‘’W-We're under attack!’’ the other guard cried as he hastily unhooked his horse from the carriage and rode aimlessly towards the direction of the shot, eyes wild with aggression. ‘’I-I’ll kill you!’’

‘’Amature.’’ Shamir smirked. She swiftly notched another arrow and lodged it in the man’s heart. He flew off his horse and unceremoniously collapsed on the forest ground, gurgling as he took his last breaths. What a fool, she briefly thought, to run so eagerly and blindly into such an obvious death...almost like-

_ A rough and confident laugh blaring loudly into her ears. At that distance, Shamir could often pick up the scent of that gaudy rose petal tea the woman was so fond of despite what one would expect from the otherwise dedicated knight. _

An agonized hiss sharply passed from no longer grinning lips. The sniper put the guard out of his misery with an arrow to the eye, a mercy she did not usually offer. It was more a mercy for herself as she begged for the echoing cries of pain from a voice not belonging to the guard’s to stop, her demons finding their way past bloodstained defenses despite what she had believed. The whizzing of an enemy arrow, however, brought Shamir back to the battlefield, just barely able to get out of the way as a line red glistened from her shoulder. 

‘’Damnit! The archer!’’ She glared down her sights at the man who now clearly knew her position and rained a shower of arrows down upon him. Shamir was right in her deduction of his experience as he dodged the first few volleys, but, regardless of his skill, she had more, and the archer crumpled as a few managed to find their way into his torso. She flung one last arrow into the direction of the wounded man’s head, only to gasp when the cavalier gracefully intercepted it, the arrowhead clinking harmlessly off her horse’s armor. The knight tossed a vulnerary back to the injured man before training her sights in Shamir’s direction, the chill of her glare undeniable even if concealed by a thick iron helmet. 

An odd feeling rippled through Shamir’s body in the presence of the cavalier. It was a sudden, confusing mixture of warmth and comfort as she questioned the familiarity of the stance. In a more sane state of mind, she might have recognized it, but between the miasma of her emotions and the heat of the battle, she could do nothing but to shove any sentiment away as the knight advanced swiftly towards her. Her arrows missed their mark a surprising amount of times, either intercepted by platemail or dodged with clean movements. The few that did draw red did so very poorly, only faint patches coming from padded cloth that didn’t seem to slow the knight in the slightest. Finding a gap between shots, the mercenary hoisted her javelin and tossed with perfect form, but, other than causing the sniper to flinch, did no other damage as it pieced into nothing but tree bark. Before she could assess the questionable decision, Shamir’s eyes widened at the sight of the knight suddenly producing a bow and arrows from beneath her mount’s armor, teething gritting as her arrows were returned with vigor. Despite being on horseback, mercenary's aim was shockingly precise, forcing the sniper to bounce from branch to branch between every shot. Feeling the need to relocate, Shamir ran along the length of a particularly long branch to retreat into a tree further away from the knight.

‘’...Gah!’’

Only to have the branch snap halfway through. In the split second of freefall, she noticed the javelin from earlier had also come loose. 

’No way…did she aim for the branch expecting me to do that?’

She fell roughly, landing with a knee digging into the hard ground below, completely exposed to the world. The thundering of hooves almost directly in front of her left no time to compose herself, however, and Shamir hurriedly lifted her head and began aiming an arrow at the advancing knight. The knight had already notched and aimed her bow by the time Shamir looked up, and the sniper was certain she was just a few moments away from getting an arrow in the eye herself. 

But the moments came and passed and still she was alive. Squinting, she saw the knight’s bowstring going slack, plated arms lowered numbly. It was like the mercenary had forgotten about the entire battle the moment she saw Shamir’s face. Her adrenaline fuelled body was too strung to process the meaning of the knight’s lull and she took the opportunity to shoot an arrow into the woman’s now exposed side.

‘’Argh! Wait!’’

Shamir froze instantly at the sound of the knight’s voice, the second arrow she was preparing slipping like water past comatose fingers. The mercenary jumped sloppily off her horse and, after a short breath and wince to pull out the arrow from her torso, walked delicately up to the sniper’s side. She then removed her helmet. Sunset orange eyes rose and shone in the dead of night as a long, thick ponytail of the same shade spilled free into the wind.

‘’...S-Shamir?’’

_ An eager and chipper voice that never seemed to think before voicing its owner’s desires. The salty scent of sweat often mixed with the earthy aroma of the wilderness from when she had hunted prior to their training sessions. The warm back against her own that Shamir knew would refuse to retreat, no matter how dangerous or hopeless situation. _

‘’...Leonie…’’ she whispered, voice soft, yet thick with an emotion that she thought had long since left her lonely life. 

They gawked at each other for a short eternity, mouths agape, before Leonie suddenly flashed a wide, happy grin and turned around. 

‘’Jeralt’s Mercenaries! Change of plans! We’re shedding the cloak and showing our dagger now!’’

It took all of two seconds for the mercenaries to peel their eyes away from the two women and acknowledge their leader’s order with a yell, abruptly turning on their employers and incapacitating them with a blow from the blunt of their weapons or just a fist to the face. After the guards were quickly dealt with, the noble was then forcefully yanked from out of the carriage, wide eyed and trembling as he was brought to kneel before Leonie.

‘’Lord Lombert! You are hereby under arrest for your crimes against the people of Fódlan! May the goddess have mercy upon your blighted soul, for we will not!’’ Leonie puffed haughtily to the frightened man. Swiveling her face away from the noble, Shamir saw the leader snap a light hearted wink at the sniper before bursting into laughter, the rest of the mercenaries joining in. ‘’Is what a snotty noble like you would say. We’re just gonna turn you into the Empire and collect a nice fat bounty for apprehending a criminal!’’

The noble glowered, infuriated and red faced at the mockery that mere commoners were dispensing him.

‘’H-How dare you filth speak to me like this! You have no proof I committed any crimes, a-and what makes you think the Empire will believe you insects over me?!’’

‘’Ha, trust me, I do my research before accepting such a shady contract like yours and I’m sure your would-be-assassin has more than enough evidence considering she knew all those dirty little details in that warning note she sent you.’’ 

Sunset eyes reached for Shamir once more. A sentimental glow radiated softly into the evening air between them, causing patches of pink goosebumps to rise upon pale skin.

‘’Besides, I know your type doesn’t really care about what happens outside your little bubble, but me and my friend over there fought beside and personally knew Empress Edelgard and The Minister of the Imperial Household during the war. So tell me, ‘milord’,’’ the leader grinned with a bold smile. ‘’who’s going to believe who now?’’

The noble’s eyes stretched impossibly wide in realization. It didn’t take long until his head came crashing down in swift defeat, the mercenaries laughing and mocking him openingly as they tied him up and took him back into the carriage.

‘’We were going to capture the guy and his goons once we got closer to the capital, but I can make an exception for you.’’ Leonie grinned happily, her sunny demeanor seemingly dispelling the night around the woman. ‘’Though I thought Edelgard was supposed to get rid of chumps like him! You’d think two years would be enough time to weed them out by now, huh?’’ 

‘’R-Right…’’ the sniper mumbled awkwardly, mind still not caught up with the chaotic turn of events. Leonie gave a teasing little giggle at her old friend’s stiff reply, inciting a light blush to redden the seasoned killer’s face, before abruptly bringing her into a fierce hug.

‘’Two years, Shamir. It’s...b-been awhile!’’ The sniper’s senses were bombarded with a wave of pleasant nostalgia. An earthy and humid smoke seeped its way into her head. Flushed and slightly sweaty skin stuck and glided against her own. Despite the air of nonchalance Leonie tried to force into her voice, the way longing fingers gripped desperately into Shamir’s body betrayed their owner’s intentions. 

‘’Yeah...it has. You look like you’ve done well for yourself.’’ the Dagdan breathed into the soft plains of amber that consumed her vision. She was awarded a small hum for her praise, equal parts proud and bashful as it reverberated warmly down her back. Violet eyes wilted as Shamir felt the tides of yesteryear pull the wounded woman in and drown her in its rose tinted waters.

‘’...Oh! Well, e-enough of that mushy stuff!’’ Is what Leonie said as she pulled back, yet unstated fingertips unconsciously lingered and tugged at Shamir’s sleeves. ‘’I know you’re the lone wolf type, but you’ve gotta come back to camp with me so we can catch up! Besides, I’m technically holding your bounty hostage. Stick with me until we hand these guys in and we can split the reward!’’

The breaking of skin contact returned most of Shamir’s senses from that alluring fog and back to her cold reality, the serene pools of purple in her eyes rehardening to steely ice. She really shouldn’t. The gold from the contract was worthless to her and, more importantly, there were reasons, loud and haunting, lucid and maddening, that she had worked completely alone for these past two years. She dared not to get close to anyone again.

Especially her.

‘’Leonie, I…’’ Before her refusal could leave bitter lips, Shamir’s gaze became caught on a vividly dark patch of red on the mercenary’s side. It was a festering, dark void tainted with the most vile shades of red. Rivers of putrid crimson ran slow, yet dauntless, down splintered flesh, mere cloth unable to conceal the sin engraved beneath. It was a wound brought forth from one of Shamir’s own arrows, own hands, onto someone who had trusted Shamir with their life, not unlike the one-

‘’Fine.’’ The frightened word flew from her mouth before her mind could stop it. She felt like if the silence was allowed to stretch for even a second longer, she would go mad. Flustered blood soon chilled ice cold when the mind realized the severity of the mistake that the voice had consented too. 

‘’I-I m-’’

‘’GREAT! Let’s go!’’ 

Any complaints she could have voiced were slain before an unbearably dazzling smile and the warm hand that slid comfortably into her own before dragging the reeling sniper off. 

‘’Goddess, so much happened in those last two years! I’m sure you can tell I managed to work my way to leader of Jeralt’s Mercenaries, not to mention the reputation I built from all my amazing feats! Oh, plus I learned a ton of new archery skills, though I’m sure you could tell considering you got a firsthand taste, haha! Speaking of which, you totally need to teach me how to move like that in a tree while still shooting! I’ve mastered all the tricks you showed me during the war and I’m positive you learned some new techniques since then, right?!’’

A familiar feeling swam within Shamir’s heart from hearing such a ridiculous spew of words leave the now hardened mercenary leader. Cracked lips tilted upright in actual mirth for the first time in years as she heard Leonie continue to brag and gush, breath still steady despite the strain that much uninterrupted babbling would have on the lungs of anyone else. 

‘’Hehe...I’ll be just like old times, right, Shamir?’’ Leonie said, a noticeable touch softer this time. The sniper should have stopped, let go of that impossibly warm hand and slipped back into the safe, lonely cold. But that warmth had pacified her body, that scent had dulled her mind. As her eyelids drifted ever downwards, she could almost hear the tolling church bells of Garreg Mach, could hear _ her _voice loudly congratulating Shamir on another successful mission completed, could smell the oily aroma of fried fish from the mess hall as Leonie dragged her off for another training session. 

And, deep down, Shamir wanted nothing more than to return those happy days.

‘’Yeah...like old times.’’


	2. Chapter 2

‘’It’s crazy, right?! I can’t believe the professor turned down the chance to be my squire! It’s always ‘Edelgard this, Edelgard that’ these days with her!’’ Leonie moaned, a touch of a slur on her voice as she downed her fifth mug of drink that night.

‘’Pft, not as unbelievable as you think.’’ Shamir smirked, both her tongue and tone warm from the half empty flask of wine swung around in loose hands. ‘’Can’t imagine she’d be too eager to play second fiddle in her own father’s band.’’

‘’Yeah, well, first come, first serve! If she wants to spend her entire life playing princess with Edelgard, than more glory for me!’’

The two shared a couple hearty chuckles at their former commander’s expense as they bathed in the flickering glow of a lone campfire, a small island of light and warmth amidst the chilly indigo night. It had been a good number of days since the little incident and Shamir had settled rather comfortably into Jeralt’s Mercenaries. She had told herself that she would only stay for a day, just enough to make sure Leonie’s injuries were nothing serious, but even after that was quickly resolved, the Dagdan had still lingered. 

‘Just until she doesn’t need bandages anymore.’

‘Just this one mission with her.’

‘It couldn’t hurt to go drinking with her this once.’

And now she had decided to stick around to collect her share of the bounty that she didn’t need, money the furthest thing from her mind as conversation and cheer filled her chest. She often found herself reaching for her face in blind confusion, cheeks aching from the years worth of smiling and laughter that she had missed and made up for in just a few moons. 

‘...Damnit. I screwed up.’ Violet eyes lost a fraction of their sheen and cheer began to fade from wet lips. The fruity burn once sweet on her tongue turned sour and cold as the ghosts of her dark past tolled their bell in grim reminder. ‘Again, I’m getting too close. Leonie...she’s going to-’

‘’Fódlan to Shamir!’’

‘’W-Wha-’’ The sniper lurched up from her log seat at the blaring noise in her ear, splashes of wine sprinkling both her and Leonie’s clothes. Violet eyes quickly sharpened before shimmering amber, Leonie raising an amused eyebrow at Shamir as sun tanned hands fiddled excitedly with a bow.

‘’Come on, Shamir, I know you’re super offended at that joke I made about the professor, but I said that I wanted practice some archery with you!’’ Leonie beamed, Shamir already finding herself walking towards the camp’s practice area as the mercenary leader tugged at her sleeves like a playful puppy. ‘’On the odd chance that the professor does come for my spot as leader, I wanna make sure I can run circles around her in a duel!’’ 

‘’...Alright, alright, I’m coming.’’ she sighed, defeated, but unable to let her melancholy drown the smile off her face when Leonie cheered and bounced in response. She always felt so powerless to resist when that unbearably brilliant smile and tone flooded her senses, but she could still try to keep from flying too close to that sun.

‘Just let us stay like this for a little while longer…’

Closing her eyes to those worries for now, eager steps paced a touch faster as they were led along to the fringes of the camp, where a lone target stand illuminated by faint torchlight awaited them.

‘’Soooooo, I may have been lying when I said I mastered all the tricks you showed me back during the war…’’ Leonie’s usually loud confidence was traced with a touch of sheepishness, a small, but indignant blush just barely visible against a flickering orange glow. ‘’That one crazy thing where you shoot two arrows in like a split second, you called it ‘Hunter’s Volley’? I can never manage to shoot my arrows anywhere near the speed that you can!’’

The tanned woman smoothly swung her bow forwards and took a stance that almost made Shamir sigh in reverie. It felt like just yesterday that the bright eyed student had come up to her and beg for archery lessons, skin still fair and untested, orange locks in a tidy bobcut rather than a long, flowing ponytail. The mercenary took a deep, full breath, before swiftly notching and firing in two arrows in quick succession. The first one hit dead center, but the other just barely managed not to miss the target entirely. 

‘’Damnit, see?! The second shot just never seems to go where I want it to! You were able to fire both with perfect aim and still managed to do it faster!’’ the exasperated mercenary huffed, chewing rather hard on her lip. Shamir hummed softly at the almost endearing sight. That was always a habit of Leonie’s when things didn’t go her way. 

‘’You mainly use the bow on horseback, right? You’re probably too used to that.’’ Shamir said as she unhooked her own bow and took aim, orange eyes peering at her intensely. ‘’It’s not a skill that you can perform on a mount. You need to have your feet on the ground since the placement of your legs do half the work.’’

Taking a deep breath and shifting her weight around into the perfect position, Shamir aimed and fired. One second, two shots, both arrows hitting dead center of the target. Leonie’s jaw hung slack as she saw chips of wood sparking in the air from when the second arrow glazed the first one.

‘’You...make it seem so easy…’’ the mercenary muttered in a daze. Quickly snapping out of her trance and patting her cheeks for good measure, Leonie readied her bow once more. Her legs creaked and wobbled hesitantly as she attempted to imitate her mentor. ‘’A-Alright, Leonie, you got this! Back arched, legs spread, ergh, f-focus…’’

‘’You’re way too stiff.’’ Shamir laughed softly as she approached her struggling student. She pressed her frame against Leonie’s back and her one arm along the length of the quivering bowarm. 

‘’W-Whoa! S-Shamir?!’’ the mercenary squeaked, her mentor feeling taught muscles flex and tanned skin flush.

‘’Remember what I said about your legs. They should be able to feel the ground below in every inch of the flats of your feet.’’ Twitching thighs were poked and prodded with a forceful hand, inciting further high pitched noises from Leonie. ‘’And bend your back to accommodate for your foot placement. Once your bow is lined up with your target, let the first arrow fly before cycling immediately to the other.’’

Orange locks bobbed nervously in acknowledgement and, with a hint of shakiness stemming more from the heart than the limbs, Leonie traced Shamir's example. While the mercenary’s draw speed stayed relatively the same, the second arrow hit noticeably closer to the center this time.

‘’Much better.’’ the sniper applauded as she broke contact from her friend, though she couldn’t help but notice tanned muscles instinctively follow. ‘’Just a little bit more practice and you’ll nail it. Just remember to keep your horse at home and that I’m not on the receiving end next time.’’ 

‘’Hehe, right…thanks, Shamir…'' Leonie said, much less loud and boastful than the Dagdan had been expecting. Violet eyes widened as affectionate, sun-kissed hands purposefully curved around pale white while a forest of faintly illuminated locks spun to reveal two crackling pools of amber. The insatiable bonfires Shamir had come to expect had dimmed in energy, but not intensity. The flames flickered sincere and tender, more like that of a soft hearth, inviting the tired woman closer so they might heal her wounded soul with their warmth.

''You really are amazing, you know that?''

Shamir’s breath caught in her throat as a feeling she swore she had locked away for eternity began to dance wildly within her chest and pound upon her heart like a drum. The two of them had often maintained a similar degree of physical contact and closeness during their training sessions, as was necessary for Shamir to properly instruct the often stubborn girl. But the sweat between their skin and the air between their faces felt worlds different tonight. Strands of flowing orange blew across her face and flirted with her cheeks, the scent of spice and oil heavy on the wind. Humid breaths, swimming in a coat of fruity mead soaks into her face and neck, Shamir almost able to taste the sweet honey on her tongue. Hot, toned flesh sticks enticingly to her own and bleeds heat into her skin, from the almost shy flirting of flighty digits to the loud and passionate exchange of heartbeats across their burning chests.

‘’...Shamir…’’

As if prompted by the warming air between them, that familiar visage of energy and bravado Shamir was so used to began to melt before her eyes. Tense muscles fell, bronze cheeks flushed, chapped lips parted. An undeniable fondness emanated from Leonie’s expression, an unspoken wish for more glistening naked within amber gems. It was an expression Shamir had yearned for, an expression she had experienced. It was an expression that had haunted her, an expression she feared with all her life. And yet, violet eyes failed to break away from amber, her hands didn’t shy away from Leonie’s. As time began to trickle to a halt beyond the haze of humid air they shared and the distance between their faces seemed to blur, the ghosts of Shamir’s past fade into the static of salty sweat and sweet ale.

‘’...Ahem.’’

‘’GYAAAAH!’’

And just as fast as it came, the moment left, shattered into little fuzzy pink pieces as Leonie shot three feet off the ground and out of quickly sobering arms. A pair of steaming faces sharply broke eye contact and wildly pivoted to the source of their interruption. Standing just a few steps away from them was one of Leonie's mercenaries, mouth curved in an ever so slight, yet infinitely infuriating smirk.

''D-Damnit, soldier!'' Leonie screeched as frantically shuffled further away from Shamir. "What are you doing?!" 

"Sorry for peeping, boss. Far be it to get in the way of your personal time with your hot lady friend, but the Empire just sent the reward for that noble we bagged a little while ago." The man's lips then couldn't help but to explode into a full blown grin. "I was gonna wait til you were done at first, but you two have been just standing there, looking at each dreamily for the past five minutes. The boys are going to leave for the pub without me at this rate!"

"Five…" the Dagdan gawked red faced as she mentally snarled at herself. Leonie on the other hand fell silent as she cradled her, no doubt equally red, face into her palms.

"Weeeeell, I'm just gonna leave your share plus this note from the emperor's creepy lackey here and let you two get back at it." the man all but sang as he quickly turned heel and ran back to the camp. "Have fun, boss!"

And thus, they were alone again, though neither attempted to reignite the broken mood. After several agonizing moments of silence, Leonie finally raised her head from sweaty hands and picked up the letter. Her face still remained out of sight, though, swiveled at an awkward and likely painful angle away from Shamir.

"Hubert's letter." she muttered lamely, perspiration running long damp splashes of sweat across the parchment as it was slowly torn open. "We should probably read-"

"Yeah." Shamir's response snapped a bit too hastily out of a parched mouth. The sniper decided to read from over Leonie's shoulder to respect the woman's face hiding wishes.

FROM THE OFFICE OF THE MINISTER OF THE IMPERIAL HOUSEHOLD

_ To Shamir Nevrand and Liony,_

"LIONY?!" 

An outraged bark erupted from the voice that was as meek as a mouse just a few seconds ago. 

"I'm a world famous mercenary, not to mention our time at the academy and the YEARS I spent fighting in a war alongside him for HIS country! How the heck did he forget my name?!"

Shamir tried her very best to deny the roaring laughter from leaving the confines of her throat. She tried.

_ I am writing this letter in regards to your arrest of the former Lord Lombert as well as the various documents you sent authenticating his numerous crimes against the Adrestian Empire. The Ministry of the Imperial Household is grateful for your aid in helping to uproot any such budding signs of corruption in her Majesty’s new society. _

_ However, being the busy man I am, I didn’t write this letter to simply exchange pleasantries. Considering the two of you are mercenaries of notable infamy and the fact that I myself can attest to your abilities, I would like to extend another contract. As you two are no doubt aware, the Empire is in the midst of combating the vile group ‘Those Who Slither In the Dark’, and I have been advised that they very likely have a base of operations within the Sealed Forest. While such a high stakes task would normally be handled by the Black Eagle Strike Force, lead by our ‘dear’ former professor, her Majesty has temporarily decided to impose on Byleth, stating that she has certain ‘obligations’ that she needs to attend to with her Majesty. _

_ Which I highly question the significance of, by that way, considering the two of them haven’t engaged in any meaningful activities for the past week, resulting in her Majesty’s schedule being horrendously backed up. Why, the other night, I caught the two of them up FOUR hours past her Majesty’s recommended bedtime to ensure proper functionality, gorging themselves on unfathomably sugary sweets, laughing and squealing like children until dawn. The professor has no idea the peril she risks putting this country in by so grossly poisoning Lady Edelgard’s sleeping pattern and diet. And just last month, I found out that Lady Edelgard had slaved herself over painting an entire full body portrait of the professor, in rather questionable clothing I might add. Not only is the professor commanding days of Lady Edelgard’s attention by letting her Majesty take on such a time consuming task, she risks ruining her Majesty’s shining and noble image. Could you even imagine the scandal that would arise if the public discovered that their Emperor spent hours alone in a poorly ventilated room with such an immodestly dressed woman, eyes so intently focused on her form? Not to mention yesterday the two decided it would be a good idea to sneak out of the castle and take a stroll into town despite my objections. I, being the Minister of the Imperial Household and always worried about Lady Edelgard’s safety, took it upon myself to discreetly follow them and make sure that nothing went awry. Could you believe that they HELD HANDS while so completely exposed to the public view? What’s more, they even sneaked into an alleyway when they believed no one was looking and Byleth had the audacity to steal a kiss from Lady Edelgard’s lips outside of their chambers. What if some deranged, obsessed stalker had been following the two? How could the professor risk Lady Edelgard’s well-being like that? And, just in the past hour-_

‘’Wow, uh...Hubert’s not taking this very well, huh?’’

‘’Saints, I’ll say. He needs to find a woman himself rather than obsess over the fact that Byleth stole his crush.’’

‘’A woman or Ferdinand. They always had this weirdly romantic/creepy vibe whenever I saw them having coffee together. Anyways, this continues on for a lot, so I’ll just skip ahead…’’

_ -a ‘Perfect Teatime’ as she put it. I loathe to think of the implications. But, I digress. In regards to the contract, I would ask that you two infiltrate their base in the Sealed Forest and wipe out any and all members within. Bare in mind that the report stated that there were heavily modified demonic beast sightings amongst them, so I would plan accordingly. Complete this mission and you will be rewarded with a very generous bounty of 30 000 gold as well as the Emperor's sincere thanks in helping her eliminate such a grand threat to Fódlan and its people. _

_ Signed, _

_ Hubert von Vestra_

‘’Well, crippling and deranged obsession aside, holy heck, 30 000 gold from this one job! Not to mention the renown when word gets around that we took out some super demonic beasts!’’ Bright, beaming eyes turned excitedly to the sniper. She almost felt blinded before them. ‘’You’re totally in, right, Shamir?!’’

‘’...Yeah. I’m in.’’ She agreed without thinking, forming words purely on instinct as was so common around her old friend. She wouldn’t dare let Leonie take on unknown demonic beasts by herself, especially since the mercenary still hadn’t fully recovered from her injuries. That was her only reason for wanting to remain besides the woman Shamir told herself. She was sure of it.

‘’YES! This really will be like old times! You and me, up against impossible odds, kicking demonic beast butt, it’ll be great!’’ Leonie gushed, heart on her sleeve. ‘’Oh, that reminds me, I picked up this awesome trick from fighting giant wolves. Since demonic beasts are basically the same size, Shamir, did you know that if you hit their legs at just the right angle, their barrier will…’’

Leonie bounded inside her personal space again, breath in her ear, hair blowing across her face, fingers tugging at her sleeves, as if the horribly awkward intimacy that happened just minutes prior never happened. And yet, despite the voice in her mind and the ghosts of her past wailing out in warning, Shamir’s body still shamelessly followed suit. Violet eyes softened, chapped lips rose, a cold and weathered heart came to life with elation. Like a withered rose starved of light and love, her hand reached out for those sunset colored eyes no matter where they would go.

‘...no, no, NO! What am I…'

She had gotten too used to this, gotten too used to _ her _. In just a few days of being with Leonie, Shamir had fallen in love with the woman. No, that wasn’t entirely correct. It was more accurate to say that she had fallen for Leonie again. The way violet eyes were drawn to sweat dancing off fiery locks of amber during training, the laughs that slid so easily from usually stern lips when sharing a meal with her in the mess hall, the warm and infallible back against Shamir’s own as the heavens themselves descended down upon the two of them. She never admitted it back then, even to herself, but Shamir knew Leonie had become someone important to her. Perhaps she had thought Leonie could finally be the one, perhaps she thought her rose could finally bask in the light of love this time. But, then…

‘But then...!’

...but then she realized that such a dawn would never arise for someone like her. Soon the rose would be incinerated by that lovely sun’s heat, ashes cold and alone once more, and worse, the rose’s vile and infinite thorns would inevitably rip that sun right out of the sky. 

And Shamir would rather die than to see such a sight again.

‘’Leonie.’’ Her voice was quiet and deathly, barely audible over whatever meaningless topic Leonie had been chattering about. Regardless, the mercenary still heard.

‘’Oh! W-What’s up, Shamir?’’ Leonie shakily said. A barely discernible nervousness rode underneath a cheerful response, creased a tanned forehead, as if she knew this was coming. But Shamir’s somber voice ruefully pressed on in spite of it, unwilling to be coaxed again.

‘’After this mission...I think it’s best if we went our separate ways. I only stayed as long as I did to make sure the wounds I gave you properly healed. Now that I know they have...there’s no longer a reason for me to stay.’’

That bright and sunny demeanor that Shamir loved so much fell instantly and utterly into ash. Glowing eyes dimmed and trembled, upturned lips collapsed and quaked, the needy fingertips at her sleeves clenched unbearably tight before retreating. Strong as her resolve may have been, Shamir’s gaze was forced to turn away from the maddening sight. The absolute devastation and heartache her carelessness had wrought upon that beautiful face made the Dagdan want to hurl.

‘’O-Oh...Oh! Well...Well, I-I guess you always were the lone wolf type, h-huh?!’’ Leonie’s tone physically stabbed at her chest. That paper thin facade failed to hide even a trace of the overwhelming disappointment and despair that dripped from quivering lips. ‘’I...T-Thanks for putting up with all this time, then! Oh, a-and teaching me that bow trick! I-I really...It was good seeing you again, Shamir!...’’

‘’...Same to you, L-Leonie.’’ she gasps, still unable to face her discarded friend.

‘It was better this way, it was better this way’.

Shamir kept repeating that line in her head, hoped, begged that it would drown out the unbearable sorrow of Leonie’s voice from echoing endlessly inside her skull. She took heaving breaths, as deep and discreetly as possible to calm her nerves, return her mind from the void. She needed to do this, to stop herself from being burned, to save Leonie from her thorns. 

‘...It was better this wa-’

‘’NO!’’

Her stoic mask shattered, body and mind buckling wildly before finally facing Leonie. She was almost glad to see fire return to amber eyes, but it wasn’t the fire Shamir had come to expect. Those flames burned seethingly strong, oppressively bright, twin pyres that reached for the stars themselves as they glared holes through the sniper's defenses. Raging hands reached for Shamir once more, not tenderly at her sleeves, but passionately at her collar.

‘’No, no! I’m not fine with this at all, Shamir, and I doubt you’re completely happy with this either! We...We were supposed to travel together after the war, weren’t we?! Answer me!’’

Shamir had forgotten about that. It had taken two grueling years of bitterness and isolation to forget, and now it was all coming back at once, flooding her already fragile mental state. She really had promised Leonie that they would travel together, promised that they would create a mercenary company whose feats would immortalize both their names for centuries to come. An image flickered loudly in her head, one of Leonie’s impossibly wide grin and excitement at the proposal, of all the plans she made right there on the spot.

‘’You don’t know how much I was looking forward to that, Shamir. I stayed up for so many nights making that stupid flag for our company, spent so much time staring at and stitching that ugly, creepy spider! And then you just...ran away without me!’’ The flames of Leonie’s eyes dimmed just a fraction as traces of wetness pooled at the corners of her eyes. Her panting breaths shuddered out in waves as glistening eyes flickered pitifully. ‘’I won’t let you run away this time, not after all that time looking for you, not after all that time waiting for you, not after seeing you smile at me like that again! Why, why won’t you just let me be your-’’

_ ‘’Partner.’’ _

_ ‘’Partner!’’ _

‘’Partn-’’

‘’DON’T CALL ME THAT!’’

Shamir’s voice howled savagely as she brutally shoved Leonie off her and onto the ground, face twisted and eyes whirling with madness. The crimson haze lasted several seconds, an infinitely agonizing blink in time where her ghosts screamed more loudly and vividly than ever. But as the screams faded and that red curtain lifted, a new horror was soon unveiled to engraved itself into her memory. Betrayal, hurt, complete dejection as the person she loved with all her heart threw her away like trash. Twin trails of tears ran parallel down from helpless eyes, fresh bruises bled the color of rejection, rueful hands clutched fistfuls of hard dirt in place of loving flesh. 

‘’Shamir…but I thought you also...I was so sure...’’

That soft, pitiful whisper echoed louder than all the other voices and screams within Shamir’s head. She turned around immediately, letting the woman she once called friend suffer cold and alone as she slowly but surely made her way back to camp.

‘’I’m sorry, Leonie...but I’m...turning in for tonight.’’ She bit her tongue so hard it bled into between words. Her heart cried out with pure urgency and need, begging Shamir to ran back and console the empty arms of the woman who loved her back. But, still, Shamir marched on, back into the cold, choosing to ignore the soft whimpers on the wind that pierced through her dying heart. 

‘It was better this way.’

She walked back into that dark, frigid void, where no one was around for her poisonous thorns to ensnare. And there the rose slept, amongst the ghosts and demons that made sure that it suffer endlessly for all the pain that those thorns had wrought.

* * *

_ Tears streaked wildly down the young Dagdan’s face as she cradled the dying man in her arms, mortally wounded as a result of her weakness. To this day, Shamir still couldn’t figure out what his last words for her were, voice muffled and drowned as he choked on his own blood. _

_The sniper’s pale face was struck numb with grief as heaven’s fire burned unsympathetically around them. Warm blood, ruthlessly spilt by arrows that once protected that back, pooled into Shamir’s hand as Catherine spent her last moments alive weakly leaning against Shamir. She doesn’t even acknowledge her former partner in her final breath, a weak, lost voice crying out for Rhea before Thunderbrand’s glow faded forever. _

_ Her body shook violently and mind began to unravel as Shamir stood before the mortally wounded mercenary, arrow punctures littering the woman’s once fair skin and bloody thorns feasting on cold flesh. Shamir cupped her friend’s face between tear soaked fingers, begging for forgiveness. Tanned eyelids fluttered open only to reveal bottomless voids of black in place of sunset orange eyes. They glare hatefully at the despairing Dagdan, mouth ominously creaking opening in accusal. _

_ ‘’What did you expect?’’ _

* * *

‘’LEONIE!’’

Shamir awoke in a cold sweat, chest heaving with fear as she flailed about the inside of her tent. Her panicked body then lurched itself outside, expecting to see the blades of the battlefield, the fires of heaven, the blood of her love. Her maddened mind only calmed a fraction when she was instead met with the dark of night. 

‘’Night…’’ she murmured, voice fragile as ice as her as quivering eyes numbly absorbed the stillness around her. Yes, it was quiet then, but in just a few hours Leonie would awaken and march towards the Sealed Forest, where vile magicians and demonic beasts awaited to soak in her blood. 

With Shamir at her back.

‘’No...’’

She couldn’t trust herself with Leonie, couldn’t allow the woman to run so blindly into certain death. Shamir would make it right, take care of the contract all alone, like she should have always been from the very start. It was better this way.

‘I can’t let that happen to her!’

After but a few short minutes of preparations, the Dagdan raced off into the night.


	3. Chapter 3

Shamir was already deep within the twisted confines of the Sealed Forest by the time dawn came, her frantic pace unbroken from the moment she had left her tent. Lungs shrieked as they were starved for breath. Scars and cuts ran painfully across her tattered skin. But hysteric legs pressed regardless, numb to the pain and desolation. Sharpened eyes glared mindlessly forwards in aggression as they cried out for their prey, an utter need to slaughter every last one of the monsters as quickly as humanly possible.

‘I have to kill them all, every single thing in this entire forest before running far, far away...before Leonie comes!’

Her rueful voice half snarled half cried when fragments of orange hair and amber eyes flashed painfully through her head. She heard that salty, yet sweet, voice chime brighty in her ears, giddy calloused fingertips glide against her wrists, broken and quivering amber eyes desperately calling for comfort, comfort that never came. The bile and screams were executatiingly forced back down her throat as nails dug into her palms until they bled. Those rose tinted memories had to be discarded, those deafening regrets needed to be silenced. She begged whatever higher power was listening, even if it was vile Seiros herself, to steal away those damned thoughts so she might do what needed to be done.

So when violet eyes caught sight of death tinted masks and robes as black as night slithering on the fringes of her vision, she nearly cried in joy. Mind too undone to even piece together a plan of attack, Shamir unhooked her bow fired in reckless abandon. Of the pair that made up the first of her victims, the one closest to the sniper fell before he even caught a glimpse of his executioner, shot right through the ear. The other wasn’t anymore fortunate, a panicked head swinging in the direction of Shamir only to receive an arrow to the neck. As his cry for help was muffled by blood and steel, the remainder of the volley peppered his torso with holes before Shamir pressed resolutely onwards, the man quickly bleeding out. 

‘I knew it! I work better alone.’

The next encounter was at a clearing where three masked men were casting spells upon a shackled flying demonic beast. Her first shot fatally struck one of the mages, but, at that distance, the other two had more than enough time to react to the second, hiding behind their experiment before undoing the magic restraints. She had dealt with this type of beast on a number of occasions, and while those times she had the help of a certain fiery haired woman, neither her feet nor confidence faltered now even as the disturbing half human mask stared maliciously down. She fired barrage after barrage of arrows onto the bird, and while it angirly returned the favour with spears of feathers hard as steel, the sniper was able to skillfully skirt around them. It wasn’t long before it’s barrier fell, but before she could land the last few blows, a spike of dark energy was suddenly flung in her direction. A strained voice barked out in pain at the red gash imprinted at her side, cursing herself for forgetting about the mages as she clumsily finished off the beast. But, in her weakness, she had put too much distance between her and the men and her arrows failed to hit anything other than grass as the two safety retreated, no doubt going to warn their allies. She scowled before bitterly moving on.

‘If she was here, she would have been able to catch up to them on her horse.’

After a long trek in uneasy silence, Shamir finally came face to face with one of the modified demonic beasts, a massive lizard-like abomination with scales of steel plate and a magical core burning savagely on its head. She second-guessed herself for the first time since the mission began when violet eyes wavered and uneven feet took a cowardly step backwards. But fire and rage quickly returned to a scarred face as arrows screeched into the sky and scorn for both her enemy and herself filled the air, the beast returning the gesture with its own howls. It took Shamir all of three seconds to realize her arrows were worthless against the beast’s armored hide. Thunderous footfalls advanced undeterred by the bloodless blows and the sniper was just barely able to avoid the heavy claw that ravaged the ground below. In between the gnashing of teeth and slashing of claws were flares of condensed magical energy sent straight from the core upon the beast’s head that incinerated all it touched, always keeping her moving. Realizing the futility of her current plan, Shamir pivoted just next to the beast’s head during its next charge, pulled out her short spear, and thrust hard into the membrane near the creature’s mouth. But all her efforts rewarded her were a chipped tooth and but a few drops of blood as vacant eyes stared back menacingly.

‘Didn’t she mention something about how to deal with these barriers? I should have listened to her.’

The blast that came afterwards burnt the cloth off her shoulder. The claw that followed suit tore a chunk of flesh off her calf. Beaten and bloody, the desperate sniper put all her faith in one last gambit, recklessly leaping onto its head. Teeth grit to the point of breaking when sharp metal plates pierced her flesh upon impact, but her body refused to stop. Her spear struck mercilessly at the magical core, again and again. Even as the beast screeched and buckled its head wildly, Shamir held place and failed to relent, letting the plates dig deeper into her flesh for stability. When the core finally did break, it did violently, the shockwave sending her flying off and peppering her skin with hot shards of crystal. As rivers of her blood soaked the grass red, Shamir forced the very last scraps of energy she had to her limbs to get up and fire one last silver arrow at where the core once was. The beast gave an agonizing howl as the arrow pierced through its head, savaging the earth in its death throes before finally collapsing, still and silent. 

Dry lips twitched a fraction upwards in victory, all she could afford as her spent body returned to the bloody grass below. She had done it, taken out the demonic beast all by herself. This was the woman at her best, arrows cold, focus absolute, free of any allies or emotions to get in her way. It was better this way.

‘’...who am I kidding…’’

Her smile crumpled instantly, tears stung bitterly at her eyes, pining hands ruefully clutched nothing but cold dirt. Thoughts of amber eyes refused to leave her head and the scent of Leonie’s hair overpowered that of smoke and blood. Shamir loathed herself, damned herself to any hell the gods saw fit in the face of such pathetic weakness and nonexistent resolve. She wished Leonie was there fighting beside her, sharing in both glory and pain. Her heart thumped wildly in her chest as she imagined the taste of lips she would never get to experience. Cowardly legs shook and wavering vision blurred as she feared death like nothing else, if only because she could longer feel those wonderfully warm hands nor hear that beautifully bright voice.

Somber eyes flickered slowly up as the ever so distant screeching alerted her of another armored demonic beast coming barreling out of the trees, teeth snapping in mindless delight for Shamir’s flesh. She made no futile attempt to move her defeated and drained body, deaf to heavy footfalls that bounded ever closer. A humorless chuckle passed from her mouth as wistful eyes dreamt of sunset orange one more time.

‘’Looks like I was wrong, Catherine...I’m going to die the same way you did, the same stupid, stupid death…’’

‘’SHAMIR!’’

_ An eager and chipper voice that never seemed to think before voicing its owner’s desires. _

Her overloaded head questioned its sanity as sunlight drifts pleasantly into her ears, too stunned to notice the shower of arrows and magic stopping the advancing demonic beast right in its tracks. She finally snaps out of her swirling daze when white magic began to rapidly close her wounds, hearing the galloping of hooves before they come to a stop behind her. She hears the rider hastily dismount and run up to her side.

_ The salty scent of sweat often mixed with the earthy aroma of the wilderness from when she had hunted prior to their training sessions. _

Her body shuddered violently when that pleasant fog consumed her senses, knowing she would very likely die of despair if all this was a product of her imagination. But when those warm hands traced her skin and calluses that she could recognize by pure touch glided against a bloody and scarred face did Shamir finally realize that it was all real.

_ The warm back against her own that she knew would refuse to retreat from Shamir’s, no matter how dangerous or hopeless situation. _

‘’Leonie…!’’

And, despite all that the foolish assassin had done to the woman, despite all the pain, heartbreak, rejection that Shamir had subjected her friend to, Leonie smiled at her. Violet eyes melted in pure sentiment as that sun dawned so lovingly over her wilted rose.

‘’...Drinks are on you next time, got it?’’

The sudden roaring of the enraged demonic beast, now recovered from its lull, interrupted the pair’s shameless battlefield flirting. As Leonie quickly got up and remounted her horse, a touch of pink lightened the sniper’s face when she realized that she had let out an audible wince when Leonie broke skin contact. The cavalier slipped in a few teasing chuckles at her expense, much to Shamir’s chagrin, before kind, yet strong, eyes stared purposefully down.

‘’...Do you have my back, Shamir?’’

‘’Yes.’’ 

Her response was true as the sun in the day and the stars at night as her heart spoke for the woman. Even as her demons wailed in warning and rage, it was impossible for that rose to hide the true extent of its trust and devotion as crimson petals helplessly unfurled before the stunning dawn.

A flash of pure emotion flickered over the mercenary’s face for just a moment, before Leonie gave a firm nod and raced off straight towards the rampaging beast, a grin bold and free upon chapped lips. And despite all that Shamir had done to prevent it, despite all the gruesome possibilities that tried to chip away at her mind, the woman couldn’t help but smile back at that gallant knight. The unyielding battlefield faith between the two of them that Shamir had discarded in her two years of bitter loneliness returned to waxing violet eyes, and this time, it refused to be forgotten.

Leonie matched the vile beast pace for pace as the two opposing forces advanced ever closer to a disastrous collision. But, at the very last possible second, she commanded her horse to divert course around the beast while her lance slammed violently into a foreleg with the piled momentum of both parties. Deafening howls fouled the air as the plates on the appendage shattered like glass and sticky black blood rained from its wound. In its agony, the creature suddenly reeled back on its hindlegs, clutching its face in a daze. It was there Shamir caught sight of the beast’s underside, pulsating flesh free of plates and completely exposed.

‘’Shamir, now!’’

She didn’t miss a beat as staunch limbs filled with energy that should have long since run dry, leaping to her feet as she fired a quiver’s worth of arrows into the beast’s belly with blistering speed and precision. Blood seeped readily from its gaping maw and it soon toppled over with a resounding thud, dead before it hit the ground.

‘’Good hustle, Shamir!’’ Leonie beamed as she returned to the sniper’s side, sweat glistening like crystals as they streaked down amber locks. 

‘’Same to you, Leonie.’’ she hummed tenderly, smile growing ever larger. ‘’By the way, how did to know that the thing’s stomach was unprotected?’’

‘’Stomach? Was it really unprotected?’’ Leonie asked, genuine confusion wrinkling her tanned forehead. ‘’I was just banking on you hitting it in the gonads a couple times. That’s what I do with the giant wolves.’’

There were a few moments of dumbfounded silence, a brow unbelievably furrowed at shrugging shoulders, before Shamir doubled over in pure, hysterical laughter at the ridiculous answer, clutching at her sides as some of the wounds started to reopen. It didn’t take long for Leonie to match her enthusiasm, wrapping an arm around Shamir that the Dagdan happily leaned into. There, surrounded by monster corpses and blood, the two seasoned mercenaries giggled their hearts out like two innocent schoolgirls ready for their first year at Garreg Mach.

However, once again, their unabashed battlefield flirting was rudely interrupted as the remaining cultists appeared out of the trees with a handful of lesser demonic beasts, enraged that their hard work had been so completely erased. The pair took the last of their mid-combat giggles before Leonie got up and yelled out behind them.

‘’Jeralt’s Mercenaries! Come and get your glory!’’

On cue, a wave of soldiers bearing the company crest came barreling out of the treeline behind the two. Mages, calvary, and foot soldiers alike roared their battlecries for their late and current leaders as they eagerly moved to intercept their enemy. Climbing onto her horse once again, Leonie flashed that headstrong smile that Shamir had fallen so madly in love with and tipped her head in a wordless nod. The sniper responded with an equally silent nod, the understanding between such well-versed comrades absolute as rays of sunset orange and tides of Dagdan blue lead the charge.

They moved like mast and sail, struck like thunder and lightning, one perfectly complementing the other. Shamir cheered in proud praise when Leonie jumped off her horse and performed a perfect Hunter’s Volley to fell an incoming flying beast. Leonie whooped and cackled when the sniper feinted a charge into spear strike upon a smaller beast before slicing the exposed underside from belly to non-existent gonads. 

Arrows rained and lances charged in sheer harmony, and before Shamir knew it, they had taken out all the opposing creatures. As her mind slowly came out of the battle haze, fresh goosebumps dotted her flush arms when they became aware of the morning sun bathing the woman in its comforting rays. Violet eyes glossed as they gratefully squinted against the brilliant glare, realizing just how happy she felt to be alive and able to greet such a dawn along with all the possibilities that came with. Instinctively, her new found bliss turned towards the direction of those possibilities, where, just a few steps away, Leonie was confidently commanding her mercenaries on how to route the now fleeing cultists. A warming heart thumped free and hopeful as pale legs staggered and failed.

‘I had forgotten what this felt like. To live and fight with a...partner that knows me so well…’

With that once feared, now precious word dancing passionately in her chest, Shamir at long last succumbed to the exhaustion and bloodlost, passing out. Before she slid into the first peaceful sleep she had in two long years, Shamir felt warm, calloused hands catching her falling body and a smile ever so tender curve her lips.


	4. Chapter 4

Eventually, consciousness finally did pull Shamir from her deep slumber and the first thing the mewing assassin notices is a pleasant and overwhelming wave of Leonie’s scent washing over her senses as it beats against her head like the sea upon a beach. Pining skin seeked out the sensation of warm calloused fingertips that so often came with, but could only find soft fabric and downs in place. Slightly dejected, weary eyes creaked slowly open to be met with muted sunlight softly bleeding through pastel tent walls. Shamir’s gaze calmly drifted around Leonie’s messy, but rather spacious living quarters, the perks of being captain, before her hands slowly slinked down and lifted her shirt, where she saw her wounds carefully and meticulously bandaged and cleaned. She smiled.

‘You really are something special, aren’t you…’

And, as if on cue, Shamir suddenly found pure sunlight stinging at her eyes when the tent flap was suddenly opened and the owner in question stepped in, those perfect amber orbs just as blinding when they caught sight of surprised violet.

‘’Hey, you’re finally awake!’’ the mercenary grinned as she quickly closed the flap and bounded over to Shamir. ‘’You’ve been out for an entire day, and since you’re hogging my bed, I had to sleep on the floor last night! Kinda rude to do that to your former pupil, don’t you think, Shamir?’’

Leonie chuckled at the awkward and tactless apology that was extended, simply shaking her head at the fidgetly Dagdan as she unhooked the flask at her side and poured its contents into a ceramic cup before offering it to Shamir. 

‘’Thanks…’’ the sniper muttered plainly as she took the hot cup within her hands, eyes widening when she noticed a familiar scent rising from the luxurious steam. It was an earthy and light blend with a hint of wilderness, chamomile, Shamir’s favourite. A grateful blush dabbed her cheeks in silent appreciation to Leonie for remembering. 

‘’Oh, by the way, I forgot to mention that we just got paid for taking out The Snakes Who Slither...Suspiciously…’’ Leonie trailed off as a creased forehead struggled to piece together the name for ‘Those Who Desperately Need an Abbreviation’. She eventually threw up her hands and gave up as the seconds threatened to turn into minutes, Shamir hiding a teasing smile into her teacup at the little tantrum. ‘’Argh! We just got paid for beating up the weird guys with freaky masks!’’

‘’R-Really?’’ Shamir delicately said, trying her best to force the whimsy out of a bubbly voice, though an angry little scowl upon olive cheeks told her that she failed. ‘’Hasn’t it just been a day since then?’’

‘’Yeah well, the Empire just that KNEW that Jeralt’s Mercenaries would pull through and some soldiers came by a bit after you passed out to clean up the mess. Soon as we got back to camp, the gold was already on my desk, probably warped there by Hubert.’’ A swell of confidence returned to that chipper voice as Leonie ended off with a cocky grin before fishing a letter out of her pockets. ‘’He also sent us another letter and I figure now’s a good a time as any to read it.’’ 

Shamir nodded to the proposal and peaked over a tanned shoulder as Leonie plopped down on the bed to tear open the envelope, the Dagdan trying not to pay it too much mind when the radiating heat from flushed skin called out enticingly to her own.

FROM THE OFFICE OF THE MINISTER OF THE IMPERIAL HOUSEHOLD

_ To Shamir Nevrand and Leonly,_

‘’Haaa, he’s getting there, I guess.’’

Shamir didn’t bother hiding her laughter this time.

_ I am not a man that impresses easily, thus I trust that the two of you will know I mean it when I say your group did an exemplary job at the Sealed Forest. Those Who Slither in the Dark have been dealt a tremendous blow today and we are one step closer to a truly united and peaceful Fódlan. You have the Empire’s sincere gratitude and praise as well as my humble thanks. _

_ I have also been asked by her Majesty to extend to the two of you an invitation to Enbarr, which will soon be the location of an extravagant festival as the entire capital celebrates the anniversary of the end of the war. It is quite a proud and compelling sight, which is why it is such a shame that our ‘dear’ former professor chooses to turn a blind, insulting eye to the significance of the event. Did you know that last year Byleth didn’t even participate during the singing of the Adrestian national anthem? When I later confronted her about it she simply stated: _

_ ‘’I don’t know the words.’’ _

_ Outlandish! You are the wife of the Grand Emperor of the Adrestian Empire and all its territories, and yet, you do not even know the national anthem? And what’s more, her callous disregard has even begun to infect Lady Edelgard. This year, she has shown more interest in planning her and the professor’s wedding anniversary than rehearsing her speech for the festival. And can you believe that Byleth suggested that they go to the beach for it? Her Majesty cannot even swim! What if she were washed away by a stray tide? What if her buoyancy apparatus suddenly deflated? This isn’t even considering how utterly insulting and revealing the swimwear Byleth chose for her is! I simply CAN’T-_

‘’Yeah, you get the point.’’ Leonie sighed as she tossed the letter away and fell exasperatedly backwards, a head of orange finding its way onto Shamir’s lap. ‘’The professor is still being lovey dovey with Edelgard and Hubert is still obsessed. Expect one of these letters everyday from now on since he seems to have gotten used to venting to us.’’

Shamir agreed wholeheartedly with a smirk and a sigh of her own. The next minute or so stretched idly by in a pleasant silence between the two comrades in arms, Shamir savouring the taste of her tea and Leonie resting her eyes for a spell while her head lazily searched for a comfortable position on Shamir’s thigh. Empty cup clattering on the desk beside her, the sniper let out a dreamy, chamomile infused breath as she basked in the serenity of the moment. A coaxed mind leisurely entertained innocent and playful thoughts, like if there would be that delicious Queen Loach Sauté she was so fond of at the anniversary celebration, or if she could somehow trick Leonie about the nature of her wounds that she might stay in those sunshine scented sheets for however longer. 

‘’...Oh, I just remembered something.’’ she heard Leonie say, a bit distant as the Dagdan wallowed in her daydreams. ‘’Hey, Shamir?’’

‘’Mmm, what is it-’’

The peaceful revery that Shamir had been enjoying was instantly shattered as a rough fist slammed hard into her face. It wasn’t done at full strength nor did it leave a mark, but it still made her head spin with pain and confusion as surprised violet eyes seeked out amber, now dimmed with anger as a chipper smile was replaced with a hurt frown. 

‘’...That was for almost getting yourself killed.’’ a low but passionate voice seethed. Those judgemental fires within glaring eyes tried their best to display their ire, but a wavering face soon fell into tense fingers, clenched in anguish. ‘’How could you do something so stupid? Do you have any idea how worried I was, Shamir?’’

‘’Leonie, I…I’m sorry.’’ Shameful eyes retreated from Leonie’s and cast downwards where thick bandages and not so dried blood recounted the tale of stupidity and heartache to a heavy conscious. She should have known that this was coming. ‘’I just...I suppose I owe you an explanation, Leonie.’’

‘’You got that right.’’ the mercenary sternly spoke, but anger soon melted into compassion when comforting fingers laced warmly between Shamir’s and a soft, tender expression danced close to pale cheeks, the scent of sunshine and love blowing serene within her chest. ‘’Please, Shamir...tell me why you ran away two years ago. Tell me why you were so offended when I called you...partner.’’

Even then, the Dagdan winced at the long considered taboo word, but the hardening grip of calloused hands anchored a swirling mind to reality. She didn’t want to face them again, those horrid ghosts and the screams that came with, but she knew for the sake of the woman that held upon trembling hands so lovingly, the woman who had saved her life in more ways than one, that she had to reveal the truth to Leonie, the truth that Shamir had been running from for all those years. 

‘’...During the final battle with Rhea...I killed Catherine.’’

A grim gasp sounded near her ear, the hands around hers loosening in grip as they slacked in shock. Shamir wished they would squeeze until she couldn’t feel anymore.

‘’I...I-I had no idea. I heard she had passed during the war, but to think...you...oh, Shamir…’’

‘’She seeked me out when I was alone. You were helping Byleth deal with one of those machine dolls...she smiled at me, you know, joked like she did five years ago, like we never stopped being partners.’’ Shamir’s lips flickered upwards for just a second at the twisted memory, briefly taking solace in the echoes of that rough voice, though the despairing tears that soon glistened upon wavering pools of violet revealed her heart’s true feelings for the moment. 

‘’She wasn’t even the first partner I burned. There was another Dagdan that I fought and fell in love with, but he died because of a stupid battlefield mistake I made, died trying to cover me. It crippled me, tore me up for years, but when I met Catherine, I thought I could finally move on, thought I could fight and love beside someone again, this time forever...and yet, despite it all, I still killed her, shot an arrow right into her chest, felt her blood drip down my arms as she slowly bled out...my partner...the woman I loved…’’

Her hand squeezed so tightly on Leonie’s, fearing that sun would disappear from her life forever if she loosened her grip in the slightest. Her breath held, terrified in her chest, hoping to keep the spice and humidity of a fleeting dawn within an otherwise frigid chest for as long as possible.

‘’I can’t...I can’t bear to have that happen to you, not you, Leonie. Despite what I said and how horribly I acted towards you the other night, I...really am in love with you, Leonie.’’ Even as Shamir wretched her heart out, even as bloodied memories and haunting regrets burned down the foundation of a stable mind, the Dagdan still couldn’t help but to shudder in pure happiness as she saw that amber fire dance gleefully upon an otherwise passive face in light of her confession. And Shamir hated herself for it. 

‘’But I don’t deserve to love someone like you, Leonie, your love is wasted on trash like me. Do you know why I chose to betray the church and follow The Empire? I wasn’t because I believed in Edelgard’s cause or because I was fed up with Rhea’s corruption. No, the only reason I abandoned my comrades and spilt their blood was because I thought that the Empire was the winning side. I turned my back on my partner, the person who trusted me to have their back, the person who I loved, just to save my own skin!’’ She throttled her hand away from Leonie’s, suddenly feeling like she was poisoning the woman with her bloodstained touch. 

‘’Which is why I’d rather die alone and forgotten then to burn you like I did them! You’re the best partner I could have ever asked for, Leonie, you take everything I loved about my old partners and reignite them, set them aflame, make them explode into emotions I can’t even explain. But I’m afraid, so afraid that I’ll betray you in another cowardly moment of weakness or that you’ll die for me trying to save me from another stupid mistake on the battlefield! And I just...I can’t have that happen to you…’’

Sins run dry and throat sore with self loathing, the disgraced Dagdan draped her legs over the side of the bed. She cradled her flushed and wet face within repantent hands as the woman she loved stared silently at her tense back, the echoes of death and betrayal still fresh in the air. Shamir wanted to disappear, into the darkness of her palms and back into the lonely cold. She didn’t want to hear any haunting accusals nor any cheap words of comfort, she just didn’t want to hurt anyone anymore, didn’t want to hurt herself. So, when a familiar and all too tempting hand eventually folded over hers, Shamir desperately tried to pull away in fear, but that grip was much too determined and failed to relent. The sniper soon found herself unwillingly face-to-face with satin olive skin and bright amber eyes, emotions naked and shame bared before the woman she loved and yet refused to reach out for.

‘’Shamir…’’ her friend whispered softly, those unavoidable sunset eyes glistening. Shamir winced as just hearing that tone poked holes in her resolve. ‘’But you would die to save me too, right?’’

‘’Of course!’’ Shamir snapped instantly, angst temporarily forgotten as her heart lurched inside her throat.

‘’Well, great! Then it cancels out!’’ The mercenary suddenly beamed, innocence and delight dancing upon a wide smile as Shamir gawked dumbfounded. ‘’Wew, glad we got that sorted out! Now, where do you want to hold the wedding?’’

‘’L-Leonie! D-Don’t make, pft, l-light of...That’s not how it w-works, hehehe...’’ Shamir tried to refute the lunatic words, but that utterly infectious smile and attitude was simply too much for even her years worth of apprehension and fear to bare. 

And so, Shamir laughed, deaf to her worries and blind to her past, she and Leonie laughed like they didn’t have a care in the world amongst the rays of muted sunlight and the scent of soothing chamomile. After the breath returned to their lungs but before the hesitation could return to violet eyes, Shamir felt a calloused hand grip more tenderly and a chipper voice lower affectionately. 

"Maybe it is that simple, Shamir. I know I'm not some egghead like Lindhart or am as convincing as the professor, but even I know that two partners that complement and care about each other as much as we do should be together, through good and bad...I can’t be Catherine or your first love and I’m not, I don’t want to be. I want to be...Leonie.’’ 

Violet eyes widened to the tune of that eager and chipper voice.

‘’I want to be the great and legendary mercenary leader that you’re proud to have at your back, that your eyes will always be drawn to! I want to be the brash and, admittedly, a little naive friend that can make even a lone wolf like you laugh like a kid!’’

Summer eyes set over a glade of sweat and earth.

‘’I want to be the one who loves you back and I want to make you fall for me so hard, that you would never ever want to leave my side. And if anything ever does come between us, whether it be Those Who are Slippery in The Dark, a war between Dagda and Fódlan, or even the goddess herself, know that I will always look for you, Shamir. I’d fight through all the demons in hell and all the gods in heaven to bring you back to my side again, I’ll survive through all of that and more because I want you too much to give up even a second of being together.’’

Olive fingers tenderly interlaced with pale as they unquestionably promised an eternity of warmth. 

‘’I want to share this life with you, Shamir. Please...won’t you trust me? Won’t you trust yourself to make me happy?’’

‘’...Yes...yes, I trust you, Leonie.’’ she confessed, soft but deafening, brief but everlasting as the impact and devotion of words as certain as tomorrow's dawn dissipated a decade of bleak night. She hadn’t forgotten it, that unyielding battlefield faith the two of them shared. If she could so firmly trust that warm back in face of demonic beasts, whole empires, the gods themselves, how could she not put the same faith in herself? Pale hands accepted olive and repaid their warmth in full.

‘’...And if you really do trust me, Leonie, if you really do love someone with as many thorns as I have...then I swear not to make you regret that trust.’’ As the last fragments of dusk faded away before the radiant dawn, Shamir took one last breath of Dagdan roast coffee and rose petal tea, saw a Dagdan man and blonde knight smile at her one last time before those ghosts were finally able to rest, dispersing peacefully into the morning air. Happy tears sent them off, a final heartfelt offering in mourning before they were resolutely wiped away while boldened eyes basked in the new dawn, the dawn that she would protect as it had protected her. The past was in the past. She had to fight for the future. 

‘’And I swear that I’ll learn to trust myself, because, more than I’m afraid of myself...I cherish the time I spend by your side.’’ She cracked a smile when glistening tears formed on the fringes of sunset orange eyes, this time not with sadness, but with fulfillment, the same fulfillment Shamir knew was reflected in glimmering violet as well. ‘’...I love you.’’

‘’A-Aw, geez! Two years you’re gone at that’s all you could come up with for your confession? I can give you another month or two is you want!’’ Leonie joked through the tears and painfully wide grin, just another quirk she loved about the woman. Shamir smiled as she pressed their foreheads together, making sure Leonie was completely aware of her love as violet pools spoke her heart’s full depth. ‘’...But since those three little words made me happy enough to cry, hehe, then I guess I can’t complain...I love you too, Shamir.’’

‘’Thank you.’’ Shamir simply said, melting lovingly into her dawn’s tender, wanting flames before resting her face amongst strands of infinitely stretching orange that welcomed the weary soul to its new home. There, with the scent of sunshine dancing in her chest and the warmth of a fire burning delightfully against her skin, Shamir knew Leonie was the one. That rose would fight, use its thorns to protect the sun, not harm, and it would bloom happily underneath those caring rays, petals reddening into the most gorgeous shades of color so that the entire world would come to know of the bond shared between the two of them. Shamir knew this was her chance to be happy and no self doubt from her past nor enemy in the future would ever take Leonie away from her. That she promised to both of them. 

…

‘’...H-Hey, Shamir?’’

‘’Yes, Leonie?’’ the sniper dreamily muttered, dramatic speeches and profound flower allegories still bouncing around inside her head.

‘’I-I know I’m not the most knowable girl when it comes to romance, b-but…’’ Shamir stiffened when an all too hot breath ran along the canal of her ear. She could hear both the seductively lowered eyelids and the slight humored smirk within that perfectly chaotic tone. ‘’Don’t you think that moment back there was a good time for a kiss?’’

‘’H-Huh?!’’ Shamir was gracelessly tossed from her mental podium and pulled her head back in shock, eyes stretching comedically wide when she saw longing, nervousness, lust, and amusement all mixed together in one utterly enrapturing expression upon a tanned and blushed face. Chapped and plump lips were nibbled on in unrest, a habit Shamir once found so endearing now causing her cheeks to redden and tongue stammer. ‘’O-Oh, well, I-I suppose that’s what lovers do these days, o-or, um, since when they were invented! B-But I’m a little...e-err…’’

Leonie’s smirk easily grew to full size as she watched her normally stoic and unflappable former mentor squirm and blush so innocently. Her nervousness having receded from knowing that her partner was infinitely more embarrassed and her longing having expanded in face of such adorable expressions, the mercenary’s wanting hands boldly seized those delightfully rosy cheeks and her sweet breath danced just shy of a meeting she had been dreaming of for so, so long.

‘’Please, Shamir…’’ Amber eyes fluttered enticingly down. Olive hands exquisitely savoured the feeling of Shamir’s soft skin, half in tease, half in barely restrained need. ‘’Please, lover? Please...partner?’’

Shamir felt her voice swiftly shrivel up in a dry throat as those cherished words echoed hot in her ear, the faint scent of mead and heat blowing across her face and inebriating her mind. Violet eyes melted against that painfully alluring sunrise, revealing desires that Shamir had repressed during all those years of cold isolation. She saw them burst and explode, vividly and unrestrained within the reflection of warm amber pools. 

‘...I guess I always was better at letting my actions speak for me.’

And so Shamir pushed forwards and finally claimed the lips that had awaited her for so long. She felt Leonie stiffen on touch, as if the mercenary had somehow never prepared for the possibility that Shamir would initiate, which the Dagdan offered a half muffled chuckle at. But embarrassment and whimsy quickly faded as the taste of each of the women’s desires bewitchingly imprinted themselves the other’s tongue and minds. An ever so distant thought flickered through Shamir’s clouded head, of her, cold and beaten within the Sealed Forest, with a deathbed longing for the very lips she was savouring right at that moment. She refused to risk experiencing such lonely regret again. The brushing of chapped lips, the warmth of a hot tongue, the taste of mead mixed with chamomile swiftly unearthed hidden wishes within a love starved chest. 

Pining hands reached beneath the fabric of a damp undershirt, an act that tanned fingers immediately mirrored.


	5. Chapter 5

The next few lost moments in time blurred by in a hot haze for Shamir, too mesmerized by the taste and tow of a tongue dripping with affection to offer mind to anything other than the naked flesh beneath her. Her pale skin reddened as it glided against hot olive, her elated heart thumped madly as she felt it sync with Leonie’s, her lungs burned with intoxicating pain as the only air they were offered came from Leonie’s humid panting. Only when the last slivers of air were exhausted within her sauna of a chest did Shamir finally come up from the depths of that rose tinted ocean. Violet eyes slowly blinked away the stars from her vision before basking in the glow of a flush and blushing face. 

Normally bursting amber fires instead crackled, smokey and dazed. Chapped lips damp from Shamir’s tongue twitched slightly as short and heavy breaths were breathed into the Dagdan’s direction. A light smirk touched her own lips when she noticed Leonie’s head faintly bob upwards, tongue stuck half out as it instinctively seeked out Shamir’s own. Desire momentarily retreating, a playful Shamir decided to toy with her currently starstruck lover, slowly bobbing her head away while offering little licks upon Leonie’s lips and cheek. When the light finally returned to amber orbs, Shamir was offered a few glorious glimpses of infinitely red cheeks drowned in embarrassment before wild and sweaty hands hurriedly clamped over her eyes.

‘’Oh, c-come on, Shamir! Tell me if I’m acting like an idiot!’’ a delightfully shrill voice yelped, Shamir nearly able to make out the look of absolute panic and humiliation on Leonie’s face simply by hearing that tone. ‘’J-Just forget you ever saw that!’’ 

‘’Hehe, what’s the matter, Leonie?’’ Shamir grinned, nibbling on flighty fingertips as she attempted to peek them. ‘’What happened to that bold and fearless mercenary leader that my eyes are always supposed to be drawn to?’’

‘’Tsk...I-I mean…’’ The strength and nerve of shaky fingers slowly waned and Shamir was able to take a clear look at the steaming face below. It was somehow even more adorable than she had thought. Tanned cheeks bloomed so red that you couldn’t even tell that they were tan. A plump bottom lip was anxiously and earnestly chewed on. Glistening, squinted eyes attempted contact for a split second before instantly darting away in shyness.

‘’I-I’ve thought about doing this with you more times than I’ll admit, but…’’ Shamir felt the skin against her burn blisteringly hot and rivers of sweat race down a slick forehead on mass. Skittish eyes scampered about like a rabbit before a hawk as they searched for anything to focus on that wasn’t ogling violet orbs or pale, seductive flesh. Fidgety hands bashfully retreated and attempted to cover her bare breasts. ‘’H-Having you here and it actually happening w-while you stare at me is a little…’’ 

‘’...hehe, fine.’’ 

Shamir took a moment to mentally feast on the rare and utterly precious expressions her teasing was awarded before lazily plopping her body down and face into Leonie’s hair, allowing her flustered partner a moment to compose herself. There, with silky strands of orange sunlight washing across her face like the waves of the ocean, Shamir took a moment’s rest herself, breathing in deep warm breathfuls of Leonie’s hair. She always was so madly captivated by that lavish scent of sweat, earth, and sunshine. It made her heart pump with affection as it danced intimately inside her chest, comforted and eased a troubled mind as it promised to always be there for her, rang pleasant nostalgia so tender in her ear and flashed merry memories so warm across a sun filtered vision. In that moment, Shamir wanted nothing more than to be lost within that bright and treasured haze for all eternity…

‘’...Should I have taken a shower first or do you have a kink?’’

Suddenly becoming very conscious of how deeply and often she was breathing, a head of navy blue throttled upwards and away from spiced orange. It was now Shamir’s turn to blush as she faced an upturned eyebrow and bemused smirk.

‘’O-Oh. S-Sorry about that, Leonie...’’ she muttered, trying her best to make laboured breathing sound as normal as possible. ‘’I-It’s just your scent. It’s...kinda nice…? Makes me feel relaxed, o-or something.’’

Sunny eyes took on a teasing sheen, lips and tongue curling to produce the most seductive voice she could manage as Leonie’s body inched alluringly close, eager to repay her previous embarrassment in kind. 

‘’Oh yeah? Are you sure it makes you feel relaxed?’’ Leonie purred as she got right up in the Dagdan’s face, a calloused finger tracing little circles around Shamir’s chest, circles that seemed to drift lower with each rotation. ‘’Tell me, what does my scent remind you of, partner…’’

Shamir’s mind fizzled as that sacred and innocent scent was accompanied by such an indecent and utterly stimulating touch. She desperately scrambled through her vault of memories, quickly trying to find an answer to Leonie’s question that would preserve her pride as a former knight and instructor. 

_ ...the salty scent of sweat often mixed with the earthy aroma of the wilderness from when she had hunted prior to their training sessions…the warm back against her own that Shamir knew would refuse to retreat...the idiot that tried to use other students as target practice...the oily aroma of fried fish from the mess hall as Leonie dragged her off for another training session…. _

‘’Fish and sweat.’’

**‘’WHAT?!’’**

That sly and flirtatious hold instantly crumbled to dust and Leonie shot savagely out of her arms. Amber eyes sizzled wildly with humiliation and an offended blush blazed across tanned cheeks. The flustered woman took a couple weary sniffs of her underarm before frantically reaching for her clothes.

‘’Oh, I’m definitely taking a shower!’’

But tested arms clamped down on their fleeing prey before it could escape as Shamir tackled her insulted lover back into the sheets, flapping lips trying their best to form an apology in between her roaring laughter. Though, the tease lidden words only served to rile Leonie more, sweaty palms roughly shoving Shamir’s face away from her body while hostile fingers attempted to pinch her nose shut.

‘’Heh, aha, s-stop, hehe, Leonie! I-I’m, pfthaha, s-sorry!’’ Shamir needed to repeat that about a dozen times for those seething hands to stop clawing at her eyes and barely dimming amber pyres to wait expectantly, though her face and nose were still kept a good arm's length away. ‘’Sorry, hehe, Leonie. I might have...phrased that poorly.’’

‘’You got that damn right.’’ a tomato red face half snarled, half pouted, guarded fingers ready to poke out those peering violet eyes at a moment’s notice. ‘’Those two years by your lonesome clearly didn’t do any favours for your social skills. Aww, man! Is that really what you were thinking of during those touchy-feely moments we had together?! No wonder you rejected me the first time…’’

‘’Pft, n-not at all, Leonie. You smelt very nice that time. Well, as nice as someone who just downed a barrel’s worth of ale can anyways.’’ Shamir teased, hoping that the fingers that pressed dangerously close to her eyes were also teasing. ‘’What I meant was...your scent, it just kinda takes me back to better times in my life.’’

Tense fingers slacked a fraction, allowing Shamir a good look at a face flushed more by sentiment than humiliation. 

‘’Like when you were just a student and we would just talk and laugh as we ate in the mess hall. I’d always have Queen Loach Sauté that Byleth had just freshly fished while you’d throw whatever game you recently caught into this weirdly colored stew.’’ Shamir smiled when sunset eyes dulled in nostalgia, the distant aroma of excessively oily meats and unripened vegetables precious between the two. Somehow, knowing that Leonie had also fondly remembered those cheap, but treasured moments they shared caused an overjoyed mist to sting at Shamir’s eyes. ‘’Or when we’d stay up all night training together, even before the war. You actually stinked of sweat after those sessions, but, even after you collapsed into a heap from exhaustion and could barely keep your eyes open, you would still give me that stupid little grin and beg to do it all again next week.’’

_ ‘...with the morning dew glistening alongside your sweat and the dawning sun rising behind your back...’ _

‘’When I’m near you, I guess...I’m just reminded of all those good memories.’’

A pensive hum was all Shamir received for a response, fresh passion battling with lingering irritation as they amusingly scrunched up the mercenary’s face. As the seconds stretched onwards in an increasingly long silence, her impatient heart’s need for intimacy steadily chipped away at Shamir’s conscious and resolve until she could take no more. Brazen hands easily broke through distracted defenses and her beating chest took its rightful place against Leonie’s before greedy lips pursed a surprised mouth into a kiss.

‘’Hmm, so, how about we make some more memories, Leonie?’’

A barrage of hungry kisses suffocated any grumbles or complaints the now swooning mercenary could have raised. After her tongue had finished indulging itself on wet heat and hot moans, her head fell back into the nest of sun-scented orange while the rest of Shamir’s body flared to life, wanting limbs awaking to their own pleasures. She surged and fell repeatedly against hot olive. The burning flesh beneath Shamir was apprehensive for a short second, muscles tightening and diluted resistance sticky within her ear, but stigma swifty melted into desire as skin glided against skin, chest thumped against chest, and burning cores pressed salaciously against each other’s slick leg. They moved like mast and sail, thunder and lightning, dusk and dawn, one perfectly complimenting the other as sweet pleasure was whispered into damp strands of hair and a rain of desire dampened the humid plains of their shuddering thighs.

‘’Haaa...Shamir...love you...Shamir…’’ Sincere breaths of need and love waded through the forest of blue as wild arms wrapped around Shamir’s back and a warm chin dug into her nape. Even in her lust-drunken state, those heart-racing words were as clear as a cloudless summer sky. Spit-soaked fangs bit and savoured the taste of the succulent flesh upon Leonie’s shoulder as her mind savoured the sounds of pain mixed with pleasure. ‘’Ahhh! Shamir...Shamir!...Sha.........suh...’’

The small sliver of Shamir’s mind that wasn’t drowning in euphoria noticed her lover’s body suddenly stiffen and still. As time marched on and Leonie’s limbs remained frozen in their paralysis, the rest of Shamir’s mind eventually took notice, that wave of flesh not nearly as pleasurable when it wasn’t rising alongside her tide. 

‘’...GYAAAAAH!’’

In an instant, Shamir found herself abruptly flung from her sanctuary of comfort as feral hands violently shoved her away and that warm body hastily retreat to the corner of the bed furthest away from her. A drop of drool still dripping down her chin, the bewildered sniper was allowed only a split moment’s look at amber eyes glowing in pure terror and toned arms shaking with utter fear before a pillow was clutched and repeatedly slammed into her body.

‘’GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!’’

‘’L-Leonie! A-Are you okay?! Did it hurt?!’’ Shamir panicked herself, dreadfully afraid she might have somehow injured her new partner amidst the throes of unrestrained passion. ‘’I’m so sorry! Please, we can stop right now! Just tell me where it-’’

‘’SUH-SUH-SUH-SUH-SUH-**SPIDER! **GYAAAAH! SHAMIR! SUH-SUH-SPIDER ON YOUR BACK!’’ 

The fear quickly drained from Shamir’s mind and face, being replaced with confusion. As one arm fended off the ruthless assault of cotton and feathers, the other reached around her back in search of the supposed invader, feeling nothing but sweaty skin and a few scars. 

‘’There’s, oof! T-There’s no spider on my back, Leonie!’’ Shamir tried to soothe, the fluffy attacks starting to pick up in intensity. Navy blue brows then furrowed, just then remembering that there was one thing that happened to reside on her back. ‘’W-Wait, do you mean my centipede tattoo? It’s just some harmless ink, Leonie! Besides, why are you so worked up abo…’’

The assault ceased at the same time as Shamir’s words did. The cushy weapon slipped out of quivering hands as olive cheeks turned impossibly red. 

‘’W-Wait...pft, d-don’t tell me…’’ Giddy hands rose to her face, trying to cover the rapidly growing grin that split Shamir’s lips. If the tanned face that angrily and adorably twisted in seething humiliation was any indication, her new lover was dangerously close to never speaking to her again. ‘’Y-You’re still afraid of spiders? E-Even after becoming an experienced mercenary captain, even after facing down hoards of bandits and demonic beasts, even after charging headfirst at the Immaculate One herself...pft, you still haven’t been able to look at a spi-’’

‘’SHUT UP!’’ Leonie indignantly screeched at her partner, face and naked body absolutely burning with rage and embarrassment. ‘’HOW MANY LEGS DOES A BANDIT HAVE?! TWO! HOW MANY LEGS DO DEMONIC BEASTS HAVE?! FOUR! HOW MANY LEGS DID DRAGON RHEA HAVE?! FOUR! NOW HOW MANY LEGS DOES A SPIDER HAVE?! TEN...o-or whatever it is! P-Point is, they have more of them and are way more creepy! Spiders are objectively more scary-, u-uh, I mean dangerous!’’

The barely functioning dam of Shamir’s restraint shattered like glass upon hearing that line and pale hands were useless in containing the flood of hysterical laughter that flooded from upturned lips. Violet eyes squeezed tight in mirth, ignorant to the bonfire of rage and shame that glared daggers at Shamir. 

‘’D-Damn you, Shamir! Dammit, dammit, dammit!’’ And the Dagdan found herself on the receiving end of a fury filled pillow once again, though it was much harder to block the assault as her arms instinctively clutched at her splitting sides. When her breathing finally controlled and vision returned from little fantasies of carrying a crying and spider-spooked Leonie in her arms, violet eyes sharpened devilishly as a nefarious scheme arose from a rapidly tainting mind.

‘’Say, Leonie. Did you know I learned this super legendary combat art during my travels?’’

‘’AHHHHHHHH-super legendary combat art?’’ the mercenary blurted, rage and insult abruptly forgotten and sizzling eyes quieting expectantly. 

Shamir almost broke character at the comically fast change in mood. The woman’s almost frightening obsession with training and strength was always so amusing. 

‘’Y-Yeah! It was from...f-from a direct descendant of one of the Four Saints! Amazing trick really, I’ve taken out scores of bandits with it! And I’ll teach you, Leonie, if…’’ Shamir suddenly slinked down onto her stomach and seedy hands parted a pair of tanned legs, shivering in delight when sparkling amber orbs fogged with surprise and just a splash of arousal. ‘’If you can last until the end of some lip service while only looking at either my tattoo or directly into my eyes.’’ 

‘’Wha...W-What are you…’’ Leonie blushed, body already scorched with heat as her lover’s hot breath soaked into the spot between her legs. 

‘’What’s the matter, Leonie?’’ the sniper grinned, knowing exactly how to rile the woman. ‘’Scared? Is the legendary Blade Breaker II, not to mention my strong, new partner that I think _so _highly of, backing down from a challenge?’’

‘’H-Huh?! O-Of course n-...t-that is…’’ The mercenary grit her teeth, hands half-heartedly trying to stop Shamir’s hands from gliding so enticingly along olive thighs. Part of Leonie knew she was being taken along for a ride, as if Shamir’s sinister smile wasn’t proof enough, but the other parts that made up the woman’s boastful conscious were too proud to refute a challenge or let the love of her life think any less of her. 

But, mostly, she just really wanted to learn that combat trick.

‘’F-Fine! You’re ooouuAAAAAH!’’

As soon as she was given permission, Shamir’s head dived straight down and into that sea of arousal. The heat and musk washed over her senses like a wave, a humid smoke drowning out the world beyond and a hot taste, foreign, yet not unexpected, coating a tongue completely in its essence. Half words and full noises were flung, impassioned yet causeless into the air while sweaty legs buckled and shook in a confused ecstasy. Firm hands, however, kept them subdued and anchored onto the bed despite the rivers of slick sweat coursing between the two. As Shamir’s tongue found and settled into a consistent motion, peering eyes turned eagerly to their captive and were pleased to see amber orbs trained directly on her violet. 

Yet, the same couldn’t be said for Leonie. Upon being discovered, those pools of fire sizzled and shyed, the mercenary sharply squinting as if it would somehow make her less noticeable. A mouth slack with pleasure suddenly contorted into a rushed and sloppy scowl, though the telling saliva that dripped sensually from shivering lips lessened the menace. Regardless, Shamir enthusiastically accepted the silent challenge, long eyelashes fluttering down seductively as a ravenous tongue pumped ever faster. Leonie tried her best to put up a fight, cheeks twitching wildly as they fought to maintain the scowl and eyes doing their damndest to harden and not burst in embarrassment before the indecent gaze that seeked to expose every dirty little secret behind those amber doors . But, inevitably, that paper thin facade was easily crumpled underneath that gaze and tongue. The scowl melted back into blissfully slackened lips, humiliating yelps and moans echoing openly into the air. Amber eyes surrendered feebly as embarrassment burned vivid and exposed upon a face once so bold. So intense the shame and so hot her cheeks that the desperate mercenary saw no other choice but to charge headfirst into the vile depths of the abyss itself, a blade called courage and a shield called rebellion held high and ready to face the malicious despot that dared to taint her fair world with its presence.

Shamir laughed when Leonie lasted all of two seconds looking at the centipede tattoo, terrified eyes snapping urgently back to her lecherous gaze with a cute little-

‘’GYAH!’’

-for good measure. A tanned face quickly returned to its previous chagrin, teeth clenching as they ineffectively attempted to deny further moans of weakness from escaping. 

‘’D-Damnit...haahh...t-this wasn’t how I imagined our first...ahhhh...time would be like…’’ Leonie sighed, fingers digging hard into the flesh of instinctively thrusting thighs. ‘’I-I was supposed to swoop in and save you from certain death...mmm...have you swoon in my arms as I carried you back to my tent...then you’d moan wildly as I tore off all your clothes and pinned you to the bed...and you were supposed to scream my name all night as I made love to you until dawn by candlelight...gah, not get told I smell like fish and be held hostage by a spider while you laugh your ass off at my expense…’’

‘’Hehe, well, I suppose the first part technically happened..._ my hero _.’’ Shamir chuckled leisurely, letting her sore tongue rest while tender eyes basked in the sunlight. ‘’Now you know the next time you save me from certain death to forget about the life-saving medical care and go straight for the love making.’’

The two of them were allowed a light hearted moment amidst the passion, even if Shamir’s laughs were a bit more muffled than usual. Though, as quick as it appeared, that innocent ray of light was swallowed by the vast haze of desire. A spirited tongue returned to a wet and waiting core while violet eyes shed the veil of mirth for one of salacity. Amber eyes, however, didn’t resist this time, allowing their naked want to shine loud and manifest. Breaths stained with arousal passed unopposed from parted lips while flushed and burning thighs boldly declared their need for more through fevered spasms and begging thrusts. The two of them wallowed in that bubble of pleasure for a short eternity, both their souls every bit as naked as their bodies behind interlocked pools of violet and amber. Somewhere, amongst the echoes of hot moans and the burning of her lust drenched lungs, did she abruptly feel two sweaty hands grip the sides of her head. A clouded gaze refocused on glowing eyes that were almost pulsating with barely restrained flames while shaking hands become aware of the intensity of convulsing thighs.

‘’S-Shamir! I-I think you should stop now!’’ the mercenary squeaked in a voice a couple pitches too high. A poor attempt at an easy-going smile was made on chapped lips, but between the violent twitching and heavy breathing, it failed to make much of a presence. ‘’S-Seriously, I-I’m good now! S-So please stop, o-or at least bring up your face and use your fingers! Y-You don’t wanna...o-ohh gods...Shamir, it’s going to…’’

The warning seemed to have the opposite effect on the Dagdan, however, a drunken heart thumping dramatically inside a fiery chest and a tongue utterly drunk on love aching and searching desperately for its purpose. Leonie could do little more than helplessly watch as the wolf sank gluttonous teeth into its prey. 

‘’Y-You’re going to say it smells weird, o-or laugh at the stupid face I’ll make!’’ Sunset eyes become wild with panic even as vibrant violet glistened wantingly. Quickly realizing the futility of their pleas, the fire squinted in silent apology for what was to come. ‘’SorrysorrysoorrysorrysorryShamirShamirShamirSHAMIRSHAMIRSHAMIRSHAMIR AAAAHHH I’M SORRY FOR DOING IT ON YOUR FACE!’’ 

Leonie’s release was a strong one, a wave of heat and passion crashing onto Shamir’s face like the ocean tide against a cliff. She relished it, the heat, the scent, the _ love, _as it painted flush cheeks and dribbled down a warm chin. Despite her prior reservations on the matter, Shamir’s lover clearly seemed to enjoy it as well, a spent and satisfied sigh following the unbridled screams of pleasure before Leonie collapsed gracelessly onto the bed. After wiping off the remaining wetness from her face, Shamir plopped affectionately next to the woman, running a soothing and tender hand across Leonie’s flushed face. Sunset eyes creaked open slowly in response and stared sluggishly at violet. 

‘’...okay...now it’s my turn to top…’’ 

‘’Pftha! You can barely keep you eyes open!’’ the sniper laughed gleefully, stretching those reddening cheeks in tease. ‘’Next time, hero. I promise to let you take me ‘until dawn by candlelight’.’’ 

Shamir chuckled fondly at the grumpy little mumbles directed at her, but giggles soon melted into sentimental sighs when she felt a warm calloused hand at her own cheek, blinking as the light of amber fires ignited into a thousand dazzling shades. 

‘’Yeah, yeah...love you, Shamir…’’ Leonie breathed, soft but true into a gently settling atmosphere as tanned eyelids flickered downwards, the strain of an exhausted body coaxing them close. ‘’...love you...partner…’’

‘’...I love you too, Leonie...’’ Shamir swooned, draping sun-scented covers over the two of them as she joined her lover in a well deserved rest.. ‘’...my partner.’’

That once feared word now felt so sweet on her tongue as it was sung in the company of the one who loved her, that she so completely loved back. As the scent of sweat and love rocked a pair of peaceful minds off to sleep, the feeling of warmth that radiated upon Shamir's reddened cheek easily spread and soaked into every inch of a fulfilled body. As weary eyelids set over purple plains, Shamir easily let sleep claim her, knowing, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that warmth would still be there for her when she awoke.

And nothing could have made her happier.

* * *

The next time violet eyes stirred, they awoke to near darkness, only patches of faded moonlight that lazily drifted past tent walls affirming the world beyond the bed to Shamir’s listless mind. Grumbling over the fact that she had slept yet another day away, sticky hands peeled off the heavy arm that was draped indulgently over her body and went to light a candle upon the bedside table. The sudden surge in brightness, however, as well as the loss of her personal hug pillow, was quick to wake the fiery-haired mercenary as well, olive limbs wrinkling the sheets in their lengthy stretching before half lidded eyes flickered over to Shamir’s.

‘’Evening, Leonie. Have a good sleep?’’ the Dagdan said as she greeted rousing woman, affectionately ruffling a head of feisty orange. Her heart gushed when her lover fully leaned into the touch. She could have sworn she also heard Leonie purr.

‘’Mmm, kept having nightmares about spiderpedes and I can’t really feel my legs, so it could've been better.’' she muttered, happily sinking deeper into the palm. Calm amber eyes simply stared blankly at Shamir for a little while, the sniper privately swooning at how beautiful Leonie looked, still naked and faintly illuminated by candlelight. Suddenly, needy olive arms tackled and clamped hard around Shamir’s waist, the sniper letting out a surprised yelp.

‘’Shamir...Shamir...ah, sorry.’’ a warm breath sang along the skin of a chiseled abdomen. The sniper fretted in worry when she also felt a couple small drops of wetness, though that head refused to budge from its spot. ‘’Sorry, I just...just was afraid you’d run off for two years again…’’

Shamir’s body rumbled with self loathing for a split second, remnants of vile echoes trying to tempt a mind back into the cold. But those faded thoughts were quickly slain and shattered by blazing petals and glistening thorns, the resolve that both women had fought and bled so excruciatingly over unwilling to falter. 

‘’Never again, Leonie, I promise you. I’ll always stand beside you, just like you promised me.’’ a bold and true voice comforted as loving fingertips trailed through locks of orange. ‘’So, looks like you’re stuck with me, partner.’’

Leonie’s head finally rose, hands hastily wiping away any lingering wetness from her eyes before flashing a stunning smile, wide as the sky and as sincere as their love. Even in the dead of night, purple eyes found the need to squint as they bore witness to a glorious sunrise.

‘’Hehe, yeah! Nothing will ever be able to seperate Blade Breaker II and her new squire!’’ Leonie beamed, even if Shamir didn’t seem completely thrilled about her new title. Tanned hands, just as calloused and warm as Shamir knew they would feel for all her life, gripped, earnest and devoted. ‘’Our future’s going to be a bright one, Shamir, I know it…...oh, by the way! What was that super legendary combat art you promised to teach me?!’’

‘’...if you shoot a bandit in the gonads, it’ll hurt a lot.’’

‘’...I should’ve seen that coming, huh?’’

The next few moments were filled with easy laughs and idle chatter between the life bound partners. They chatted about the minute, like what they planned to buy with their recent bounties. They chatted about the grand, about legendary beasts to hunt and the treasures that they guarded. They laughed at the expense of others, like what mundane fault Hubert would write to them next regarding Byleth and Edelgard. They laughed at the expense of each other, teases and blushes offered from both sides as they recounted moments of embarrassment. Through it all, Shamir found her cheeks aching from smiling so much and heart swelling as sunshine filled her chest completely, triggering fantasies and wishes she once locked away in hopelessness to burst and soar across a starstruck mind.

So, when the sniper noticed a briefest of lapses in conversation, an impassioned tongue leapt from her mouth and spilled her heart’s content. 

‘’Leonie! I-I was wondering if you’d, w-well, m-maybe…’’ Her tongue twisted and fumbled as it struggled to keep up with a racing mind. Still, goaded on by a patient smile and the scent of sunshine that waltzed across her senses, Shamir pressed on with zeal. ‘’Would you...Would you like to come to Dagda!? Would you like to travel to my homeland, Leonie, with me?’’

Amber orbs glistened extravagantly with sparkling sunlight at the proposal. Shamir heard a wondrously soft gasp as rosy cheeks blushed the most beautiful shade of pink. 

‘’...ehhh, not really.’’

‘’…bhuh?...’’ Shamir heard her dreams audibly shatter as her jaw dropped gracelessly down.

‘’Yeah, I mean, I worked pretty hard to get to where I am now with Jeralt’s Mercenaries. It would kinda be a waste to just drop all that now, don’t you think, Shamir?’’ the woman said plainly, a small smile and a pat on the back trying to comfort the visibly devastated Dagdan. 

‘’O-Oh...Oh!’’ Shamir hastily picked up her jaw off the floor as she blushed exceedingly, mentally snarling at herself for suggesting such a thoughtless offer. Meek eyes promptly shied away from amber, too ashamed to face the person she called partner. ‘’Of course! How could I be so stupid? I-I’m sorry, Leonie, I-I wasn’t thinking straight…’’

The woman in question secretly smirked at the little episode her teasing was rewarded, but quickly felt sorry herself for being responsible for such sad puppy eyes, hugely adorable as they may be. A warm and lasting hand slipped purposefully into Shamir’s while sun-scented locks of orange found a home upon welcoming shoulders. 

‘’Though...Jeralt’s Mercenaries has already become a household name here in Fódlan, so I _ was _ thinking about starting up a new chapter in Brigid. Petra even said she’d support me!’’ Leonie brightly boasted, that unforgettable demeanor beginning to stir Shamir from her wallowing. And when a head of navy blue turned around to face Leonie, violet eyes stretched pleasant surprise as they were instantly met with a light, and yet infinitely fulfilling kiss. Sunset eyes whispered promises of a rose scented future where the sun would never set over violet plains. ‘’Once that’s settled and I find people to handle things here...I’d love nothing more than to go with Dagdan with you, Shamir. Hehe, and with us leading it, I bet the Dagdan chapter of Jeralt’s Mercenaries will be the greatest mercenary group to ever exist! They’ll sing stories about you and me for ages, Shamir…’’

And before Shamir could be completely swept away by those lady-killing eyes, the mercenary suddenly and spontaneously perked.

‘’Oh, but first things first! We need to head to that festival in Enbarr for some well deserved RnR! Also gotta give Hubert our new mailing address and rub my mercenary fame in the professor’s face!...oh, and of course, tell her about my new wife, too! Remember to always flaunt your height difference when standing next to Edelgard!’’ After proudly spreading her wide and giddy smile to Shamir, the mercenary stole another kiss, this time allowing herself a much longer encounter to savour all the sensations and sounds. ‘’Mmm...and after that, the sky’s the limit. I can do anything with you by my side, Shamir. I love you, partner.’’

It was in that moment, with the taste of mead faint on her tongue and the scent of sunshine vivid in her head, as the two of them embraced each other against the flicking amber glow of candlelight, did Shamir truly grasp the extent of the possibilities that Leonie’s dawn brought. She really wasn’t like her first love, nor her second. The hands that burned so warm and the lips that kissed so soft was Leonie, her third love, her true love, the one she would walk into that dazzlingly bright future with, together. It would be a long and difficult road to get to Dagda, but it was one worth walking as life was worth living if she had Leonie by her side.

Finally, the rose had found a garden where it could blossom, thrive and bloom radiantly. Finally, Shamir Nevrand had found her way out of the dusk-choked maze that was her past and into the shining, dawning future.

‘’Thank you, Leonie…I love you, too...’’

Heartfelt purple stared lovingly into sincere amber, basking in the light that promised to shine over violet plains, as surely and eternally as the coming of dawn. There she knew she could grow however tall, bloom however bright, love however passionately, because Leonie’s sun would always seek her out. She only need to reach out her hand and grasp it. 

‘’Our future awaits, partner.’’

‘’...did you know that the spiders in Dagda can grow to the size of a dog?’’

‘’...GYAAAAAAAAAAAAH!’’

Well, hopefully it would always seek her out.


End file.
